Izumiotsu City Council Holds Children's Parliament

The Izumiotsu City Council held a Children's Parliament on Friday, March 20th, at the City Hall (assembly hall) on the 5th floor.
Last year, the Izumiotsu City Council held its first Children's Parliament for elementary and junior high school students. This time, the event was organized for students from three junior high schools within the city.
For this Children's Parliament, preliminary study sessions were conducted at each junior high school for all students, with council members serving as lecturers. The theme was "To Future Sovereigns – The Connection Between Our City and Politics," and students prepared questions for the Children's Parliament beforehand.
On the day of the event, a total of 11 child councilors from the three junior high schools asked questions on eight themes, including "On the abolition of junior high school districts within Izumiotsu City." They listened intently to serious responses from the respective department heads and the mayor, no different from regular council meetings.
Through this experience, it is hoped that students will develop an interest in politics and that some will aspire to become administrative officials, Izumiotsu City Council members, or even the Mayor of Izumiotsu in the future.
In addition to the Children's Parliament, the Izumiotsu City Council is actively engaged in initiatives aimed at fostering an "open parliament," such as chamber concerts and parliamentary general question broadcasts by FM Izumiotsu.